As more lawsuits over the Department of Health and Human Services’ contraception mandate are filed, many religious groups still remain temporarily exempt from the rule as they wait for answers.

Sister Constance Veit directs the publications office for the Little Sisters of the Poor, one of these groups waiting and hoping for relief from the HHS mandate. Between their 30 homes in the United States, the Little Sisters serve 2,500 elderly residents — enough to keep more than 300 sisters joyfully busy. The order is putting much effort into opposing this federal rule, and Sister Constance explains why.

How will the Little Sisters of the Poor be affected by the HHS mandate?

For the time being, we are not directly affected by the mandate. We have until the end of this year to provide certification that we meet the criteria for the one-year exemption currently in place. So, most likely, if nothing changes in the law, we will have to face this concretely Jan. 1, 2014.

Cardinal [Timothy] Dolan blogged about the HHS mandate and its impact on Catholic organizations and services. He is very clear about the costs of the mandate. For example, if we were to stop offering health insurance rather than comply with the mandate, we would have to pay a $2,000 penalty per employee. This penalty aside, it just does not seem right to us to stop providing health insurance to our employees.

If we chose to offer insurance without the objectionable services, we would honor our consciences, but we’d have to pay $100 per day per employee. As the cardinal figures it, for an organization with 50 employees, that would mean almost $2 million per year.

So if the mandate is still standing in 2014, all of our U.S. homes will be facing serious financial difficulties. To put this in perspective, we already have to make up at least half of our operating expenses through donations, because Medicaid reimbursements cover only about half of what it costs to care for the elderly in the way they deserve. So the potential fines or penalties we’re looking at just make it that much harder.

How will the burdens imposed by the HHS mandate affect your mission to serve the elderly?

As Little Sisters of the Poor, we do one thing — we offer the elderly poor a home where they are welcomed as Christ, cared for as family and accompanied with dignity and compassion until God calls them to himself. In all of the financial decisions we have to make, we try very hard to never negatively impact the care and services we provide, hoping the residents will not be directly affected in any way. But it will be difficult to go on with this extra financial burden.

At the same time, we believe that if we are faithful to our mission of caring for God’s poor, he will not let us down.

Our foundress, St. Jeanne Jugan, used to say, "If God is with us, it will be accomplished. … If God fills the house, he will not abandon it." She had tremendous trust in Providence to provide for our needs. So, today, we are putting the confidence she taught us into practice and hoping and praying for a resolution to this issue.

What do you think should be done about the mandate?

Obviously, we stand with the U.S. bishops and so many others in advocating that the mandate be struck down, or that, in the very least, there be a viable exemption for freedom of conscience.

What actions have the Little Sisters of the Poor taken in order to combat the mandate?

At this point, we have not joined in any lawsuits. Our efforts have centered on praying and educating ourselves about the issue.

We issued our own statement back in March — which is highly unusual for us — because we felt that we wanted to support the bishops as much as possible.

As women religious who are grateful to be daughters of the Church, that is very important to us.

That’s why we issued a public statement and, later on, why we signed on to a joint letter sponsored by the bishops and the Lutheran Church.

During the Fortnight for Freedom, we had a lot of prayer initiatives in our homes, like daily Holy Hours with the elderly and speakers. And I was asked to speak about our mission and the need for religious liberty at a congressional reception sponsored by the bishops’ conference during the fortnight.

I have been a Little Sister for 25 years, and I have never seen our congregation so active on a public issue. So that is an indication of its importance. The only other time I have seen a response like this from our congregation was in the early 1990s, when euthanasia and assisted suicide were being debated in the European Parliament, and our superior general at that time took a public stand.

Normally, our lives are very hidden.

Do you think this violation of religious liberty will lead to others, particularly in end-of-life care?

This is our real concern. People have asked us what contraception has to do with us, since we care for the elderly.

But, for us, we are concerned about what could happen later — about the precedent for government intruding further into the health-care arena in ways that could be life-threatening to our residents. Institutional long-term care is already the most regulated segment of health care.

What we fear is that, if the federal government succeeds in this case, there are other areas where they could exert pressure or enact measures that could endanger our apostolate — particularly in end-of-life care and in the possible rationing of care to the elderly as a cost-saving measure.

I do not think you are over the top. I am reading Bonhoeffer right now and there are astonishing similarities between the American Democratic Party and the Socialist Democratic (nazi) party!! The HHS mandate will lead us down the same path. Hitler required lists of all children that had been born with a handicap. They were soon put to death to cut health care costs. The next to go we’re the elderly and infirm. They were moved to “remote” hospitals and “died” of pneumonia. Abortions and sterization was mandated if you did not have the proper DNA. And many looked the other way! Hitler pretended to be Chriistian just like many of our politicians in the Democratic Party today. And they think nothing of lying! I am with you!! Mary, pray for us! God have mercy on us.

Posted by al on Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 9:16 AM (EST):

I just know that I am not alone in noticing close similarities between the American Democrat party of today and the Socialist Democrat (Nazi) party of Germany in the 1930’s and 1940’s. Mandated contraception and abortion coverage, disarmament of citizens, tatoo numbers on forearms. And these Democrats would still vote for the current POTUS even if he showed video of himself ordering 6 million Jews into death camps. Think I’m over the top? Baloney! I personally know a German woman who lived through WWII, and she STILL defends the actions Hitler took against the Jews. There are similarities, people, there are similarities.

Posted by Jeremy on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012 11:03 PM (EST):

Rallies against the HHS mandate will take place around the country this Saturday, October 20.

I am very sorry for your loss but the HHS mandate will not improve health care for all, but only make health care for all but the wealthy much worse! I have seen it with my own eyes in major cities in both Europe and Asia. God bless you!

Posted by Raymond on Tuesday, Oct 16, 2012 1:16 PM (EST):

Lin says

“People who need care in this country can get it one way or another.”

And that is your idea of the best health care in the world? Yikes!

Unfortunately, my Catholic brethren are in the Republican party business these days, otherwise they would know there are no such things are ‘death panels’.

My idea of the best health care in the world is one where every man, woman and child has access to the care they need without losing their homes, their savings or their life. As a Catholic who lost a loved one who was denied coverage (pre-existing condition, don’t you know) and subsequently died in their home without ever getting the care they needed I am appalled the Bishops would put politics above people. If they do not like Obamacare, work to create something better. In the last hundred years what have the bishops done to prevent injustices in our HC system? Nothing. Why? They had no dog in the fight. And what would they do if Obamacare is struck down? Keep on fighting Roe v Wade, I suppose, but little else.

As to not wanting to pay taxes for things such as contraceptives ... you all ready pay taxes for WAR (care to match the number of deaths in U.S. wars against abortions? Better not. You may not like it.) Of course, the bishops know better than to fight the government on taxes against the war machine.

Jesus said, “give to Caesar what is Caesar’s”

It is time we act in accordance with what Jesus said. Not what you think He might say.

Posted by Lin on Monday, Oct 15, 2012 5:21 PM (EST):

Socialized medicine (Medicare for All) is not going to lead to better health care. Our health care system is the best in the world. People who need care in this country can get it one way or another. Government has NEVER delivered a product or service for less money or of better quality than the private sector. The current HHS mandate not only violates our freedom of religion, but will decimate the care to the elderly and impoverished (and soon). The wealthy will still be able to pay for their care out of pocket. I was visiting a hospital in a major city in Europe last year. It looked like pictures from the 1950’s! And this was not a hospital that took care of the indigent! People in Europe pay extra for the care they need. We all agree that we need health care reform, but not socialized medicine!

Posted by J Spanyer on Monday, Oct 15, 2012 10:02 AM (EST):

It seems to me that President Obama and the democrats are trying to create a critical mass of uninsured people who will push for universal health care (Medicare for All), by forcing some organizations to cancel insurance to millions of employees. And, while their tactic may seem somewhat ruthless it may actually help us finally obtain ‘Medicare for All’, which is close to the Church’s long stated goal for Universal Health Care as a basic human RIGHT.

I know the ends don’t justify the means, but the church tells us we should pay our taxes even when we know they’ll be used to kill innocents in unjust wars and for other evil purposes; so it seems to me that us paying taxes for government evils and the church paying taxes (penalties) for government evils are about equal.

Remember, ‘Medicare for All’ solves the problem because we already have laws forbidding federal tax money being spent on contraction/abortion.

j

Posted by Patti on Monday, Oct 15, 2012 9:45 AM (EST):

I shudder to think that there will be “counselors” in all hospitals asking patients if they’ve felt sad or depressed and when they answer in the positive, then take them into a back room to discuss end-of-life options with them; as they already do at John C Cochran VA Medical Center & Hospital.

Posted by Jen on Monday, Oct 15, 2012 7:52 AM (EST):

Thank you, Sister Constance, for being a voice of Catholic reason for every one of us, who are confused by the statements of Catholic nuns who do not understand the implications of the HHS mandate on the good work that is done by their sisters in Christ around the country and further, the implications of their disobedience and disregard for the US Bishops. And that quote from Blessed Jeanne Jugan regarding “If God fills the house, he will not abandon it” could easily be used (and will be in my house!) for those of us who have large families and are open to the hand of God in the development and growth of our family.

Posted by Greg on Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 11:47 PM (EST):

Contraception, abortion, euthanasia, gay “marriage” - all of these are a direct attack on life.

Posted by Elinor Dandrea on Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 4:21 PM (EST):

Every Christian, who has awareness of Christs truth, should be as concerned about contreception and the abortion issue, as they are the end of life issue, and elderly care. ITS NOT WHAT WE DO IN LIFE..ITS WHO HE IS IN US..and HE IS LIFE FROM BEFORE CONCEPTION, TO OUR RETURN HOME.

Posted by Janet Y Muldon on Sunday, Oct 14, 2012 3:59 PM (EST):

This is so sad it makes me want to cry. We pray and be confident that is God is for us, we can be against us… Keep up the good fight as will I.

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